Process of molding artificial-stone blocks.



PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

I anoaoucfit PROCESS OF MOLDING ARTIFICIAL STONE BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1 904.

UNITED STATES Patented Ma 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR E. CROUCH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. M. KEITH, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

PROCESS OF MOLDING ARTIFIOIAL-STONE BLOCKS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 790,481, dated May 23, 1905. Applic i n filed September 26, 1904. 'Serial No. 226,060-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. CROUCH, a citizen, of the United States of America, and a resident of Topeka, Shawnee county, Kansas, have invented a new and useful Process of Molding Artificial-Stone Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved process of molding artificialstone blocks without the use of wooden or ,metal pallets or carrying-plates.

My invention consists in the process of molding hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompa nying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, illustrate successive steps in my improved process.

In carryin out my improved process I employ a mo d constructed, preferably, according to my invention set forth in an a plication for patent pending concurrenty erewith and embodying side plates 10 11, end plates 12 13, pattern-plates 14, cores 15 16, and a bottom plate 17, carrying said cores. The mold is first positioned as shown-in Fig. 1 and filled with composition 18, such as a mixture of sand and cement,

or sand, cement, and gravel or broken stone, which com osition is tamped inthe mold and around the cores therein. A pallet 19 of sand is provided formed or'constructed adjacent the mold. The pallet 19 has a plane upper face and may slope at its margins to the surface of the floor of ground on which it is made. The sand pallet 19 preferably is dry and made by placing relatively fine sand over the space to'be occupied thereby and smoothed, screeded, and leveled on its surface. The mold filled with tamped composition is inverted upon the pallet 19, as illustrated by Fig. 3, and the bottom 17 of said mold is tamped or stomped to loosen the cores in. the composition and also to settle the mold in the sand pallet. The bottom plate 17 is then lifted away from the mold and carries with it the cores 15 16. The side plates, end plates, and pattern-plates of the mold are then removed from the composition laterally, and the resultant artificial-stone block 20 is left standingon the sand pallet to cure and dry. The dry sand pallet retains moisture in the block, and moisture evaporates from said block, thus providing for perfect and uniform curing and drying and hardening ofthe block.

Ordinarily great expense is involved in procuring wooden or metal pallets on which to dry and cure artificial-stone blocks, and such pallets retain moisture for a longer time in the block on account of their relatively impervious condition; By my improved process I avoidthe large expense for pallets, since the sand pallets may be'broken up and replaced and re-formed indefinitely and repeatedly and have the further advantage of assisting instead of retarding the curing process or operation on account of their porous and absorbent characteristics.

The sand pallets pack somewhat during the operation of placing and tamping or stomping the mold on them, and consequently provide a firm and substantial base for the blocks.

I claim as my invention 1. The process of molding artificial-stone blocks, which process consists in forming a pallet of sand with a plane surface, tamping com osition in a mold, inverting said mold on t e plane surface of said pallet, and removing the mold from the composition contents thereof.

2. The process of molding artificial-stone blocks, which process consists in filling a E. -M. LINDSEY, 5 R. L. MATTHEWS. 

